A bad news hit the LG Twins. Jang Hyun-sik, who had been playing well this season, was out of the lineup due to injury.
An LG official said on the 23rd, “Jang Hyun-sik recently felt uncomfortable in his elbow, so a hospital examination revealed that he was diagnosed with a flexor muscle sprain.”
Jang Hyun-sik, who has been active in LG since last year after serving as the KIA Tigers after being called by the NC Dinos as the 9th overall player in the first round in 2013, is a right-hander whose strong fastball is considered a strength. In a total of 522 games (692.1 innings), he recorded 42 wins, 42 losses, 19 saves, 103 holds, and a 4.81 ERA.
사진 확대 Jang Hyun-sik, who recently faced an unexpected injury. Photo = Reporter Chun Jung-hwan 
사진 확대 Jang recently faced an elbow injury. Photo = Reporter Chun Jung-hwan
His presence was huge again this year. He worked as a setup man at the beginning of the season and also served as a closure. In May, he slowed down for a while, with a monthly ERA of only 12.00, but he has recently become a starting pitcher. In 29 games (50.2 innings) this season, he posted an ERA of 4.09 with 7 wins, 3 losses, 2 saves and 7 holds.
However, Jang Hyun-sik faced unexpected pain after allowing eight hits, one strikeout, and three runs in four innings against NC in Jamsil on the 21st, and eventually was unable to stand on the mound for a while.
An LG official explained, “(Jang Hyun-sik) will have a re-examination in two weeks.” The results of the re-examination will determine whether or not to train for recovery, and it is expected to take about a month to return.
Jang Hyun-sik’s departure is too painful for LG. This is why he has been hampered by the recent severe slump. As of before the game on the 24th, LG is in the midst of losing seven consecutive games. He ranked third with 52 wins and 39 losses. He was in second place when the first half ended, only lagging behind the first-ranked Samsung Lions in terms of win percentage, but is currently 1.5 games behind the second-ranked KT Wiz (51 wins, 2 draws and 35 losses). Rather, they should worry about the pursuit of the fourth-ranked KIA Tigers (49 wins, 2 draws and 42 losses).
One of the main causes is the collapse of the mound. Starting resources such as Anders Tolhurst, Lachlan Wells, and Lim Chan-kyu have all slowed down recently. Even right-hander Jaxel Rios, who replaced Yoni Chirinos, is in such an urgent situation that he will replace right-hander Carlos Carrasco. In the meantime, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop’s worries deepened as even Jang Hyun-sik, who can be used for all weather, was missing.
사진 확대 Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop’s LG team has recently fallen into a slump. Photo = Reporter Kim Jae-hyun
[Lee Hanjoo, MK Sports Reporter]